Big-game fishing can
offer its participants surreal and magical moments that can also make
instant legends out of fish and anglers. Long Island, New York native
and avid big-game angler John P. Picone had his moment last summer as
he traded blows with an almost-12-foot-long, 405-pound swordfish, a fish
that would’ve made Zane Grey jealous. However, Picone didn’t
engage this beastly billfish from the comfort of a fighting chair aboard
his 65-foot Viking On The Edge. Oh no. Picone fought this fish
from his 13-foot RIB, Little Edge.

“I’m a regular
canyon fisherman,” Picone says as he tells me the story of his offshore
adventure, adding that he’s always looking for ways to enhance his
big-game experience. Several years ago he saw a video of West Coast fishermen
who were targeting 200-pound-class yellowfin tuna from RIBs because their
motherships were too big to be fishing-functional. Their method involves
setting the hook and letting the effort of towing the RIB tire the fish,
a scaled-down version of the old-time Nantucket whalers’ “sleigh
ride.” Picone liked the idea and borrowed it. Three years ago he
bought Little Edge and fitted it out with three spreader lights,
a mast with rod holders, two more rod holders forward, a GPS, a VHF, and
three big batteries to keep all the gear powered up. Picone has created
what is essentially a miniature battlewagon.

He says when it’s
time to fish, he launches Little Edge from On The Edge and
attaches the two via a 150-foot tether. He also tilts the RIB’s outboard
to prevent fishing lines from getting tangled under Little Edge.
All he keeps onboard the RIB to end a battle is a six-inch-gap gaff, which
is not a lot when you’re fishing a 100-fathom curve and a sizeable
fish could grab your line at anytime. Picone says the first time they
hooked up an 80-pound yellowfin on the inflatable, his mate accidentally
dropped the fish with the gaff still in it. The tuna sounded, but Picone
eventually brought the fish back to the boat. His now-frustrated mate—determined
to not lose the fish again—grabbed the yellowfin by the gills and
hauled it into the RIB. But when you’re in a 13-footer, sometimes
you can’t muscle a fish—especially when the fish is almost as
big as your boat.